Steve, I cut and pasted part of your post at Michigan Liberal urging our community to call Senator Levin's office( I added the telephone #202-224-6221 only works from MI) that's was my touch, broke a sweat doing it. I'm sure once the full force of the Michigan Liberal netroots community bears down on Carl's office with it's bone crushing intensity America will be stunned by Levin's presence next week, or not. Hoping for the former, doing all we can. Fantastic post.
Posted by gaspare at September 7, 2007 10:19 AMGreat Post!!!!
My Senator is Ted Kennedy. I sent him the punch list of instructions for Levin. If nothing else, he can tell Levin this what must be done. At worst, when he gets a shot he will rip Petraeus a new one.
Posted by goalkeeper at September 7, 2007 11:05 AMgood list Steve. I'm sure Levin is jotting it down as I write. Nobody that I know of, or have heard of for that matter, expected anything more than than typical B.S. from Bush with his "Report". It was a six month time stall that worked perfectly in that regard. Now there will be another, then another and Poof!, no more Bush. The Dems had their chance after the election and they backed down. Now, they are in the stall game just as much as Bush is. Why? Cause they can't decide what to do with Iraq either. And guess what? In 18 months they may be dealing with President Giuliani. Then what?
Posted by T2 at September 7, 2007 12:01 PMGreat post, Steve. And your list is absolutely spot on.
Posted by Mary at September 7, 2007 12:10 PMOperation Iraqi Freedom is still a failure. Nothing's changed since February.
1.Iraqi Army Unable To Take Over Within A Year, Report Says
2.Iraqi government near collapse, secret report says
3.Experts Doubt Drop in Violence in Iraq
4.Troop buildup fails to reconcile Iraq
5.Baghdad’s New Owners
6.Why the Surge is not Working
7.Critical GAO review starts series of reports
8.They’re Baaaack!
9.Iraqi civilian deaths climb again
10.Iraqi’s civilian death toll rises in August
11.Durbin: Petraeus to warn of low troop morale
12.Iraq at Risk of Further Strife, Intelligence Report Warns
"The current policy towards Iraq is harming the United States. Instead of a change in policy we are confronted with careerist legislators who love perks but do not have the courage to confront an Administration caught in demonstrable lies."
Larry Johnson, Why the Surge is not Working, No Quarter, Sep. 4, 2007
Democratic leaders are still failures. Nothing's changed since February.
What did McClatchydc report:
"Pentagon officials and the White House had predicted that U.S. casualties would rise, especially since the U.S. forces had launched major offensives in Diyala province, north of Baghdad, and Babil province, to the south. One of the most recent restatements of that premise came in the White House's July 12 assessment of progress in Iraq on Pages 3 and 4.
So what happened? Not what had been predicted. U.S. deaths caused by enemy action peaked at 120 (filter by May 2007. Make sure you've clicked on U.S. in the box labeled coalition country) in May, before the surge reached full strength or Operation Phantom Thunder was launched.
Combat casualties then fell consistently for the next three months, reaching a low of 56 in August, (filter by August 2007). That's the lowest number of combat casualties all year. You have to go back to July 2006 to find combat casualties at that level.
That discovery surprised many analysts, as Nancy wrote. Maybe it shouldn't have been such a surprise. Reporters in Iraq had noted a startling lack of U.S. deaths or frustration on the part of soldiers that they weren't finding the gangs of insurgents they'd expected. One British analyst told Nancy that Iraq's armed groups may simply have avoided combat with the Americans. A few days later, a new report from the Government Accountability Office (Pages 42-43) lent credence to that idea.
Of course, some supporters of the surge credited the surge, and Nancy reported that, as well. After all, no one claimed to know precisely why the decline had taken place.
Criticism came from surge supporters, who said McClatchy was bending over backwards to belittle Bush's policy or had joined the "surrender enthusiasts". An example of an email is attached to this story. But the most vitriolic criticism came from liberal Web sites who accused us of doctoring the statistics or of being part of the "as-usual servile and unquestioning mainstream press."
So where did the statistics come from? Almost since the beginning of the war, McClatchy and, before that, Knight Ridder, which McClatchy acquired last year, have relied on the Iraq Casualty Count which is also known as icasualties, to keep track of U.S. deaths in Iraq. An independent organization, it uses official information to categorize casualties in a variety of ways, and its search engines allow a user to track deaths in a number of ways, from causes to hometown. Its information is often days ahead of the Pentagon's." www.mcclatchydc.com
Seems we're doing better all the time. Much to many here, who seem to want us to lose. Look at how encouraging the private up there is. Losses are down, even as were more and more exposed. Even a low in August of 56 is the best for over a year with thousands of more troops there.
General Petraeus will have his way. He will determine when our troops come home. Congress won't have to act at all. The general will redeploy troops home when he's done with them. A few thousand by Christmas, then a brigade a month starting in April. Senator Biden knows the drill. By October, he'll evaluate where we are and when more can come home. I'd push for President Bush to welcome each and every brigade homecoming. Each unit having accomplished their mission.
Democrats missed their opportunity in the spring, fumbled it badly. Osama's not very happy about that. He was counting on your leadersheep and they let him down. Many here thought that the election of 2006 was the coming of truth. You had ALL the power of the purse strings. Alas poor Ulrich, I knew him well. Princess sparkle and uncle harry did such a cracker jack job for you.
Posted by peter at September 7, 2007 03:54 PMPeter, has the surge improved the security of everyday Iraqis so that political reconciliation can take place, which was Bush's stated reason for the surge in the first place?
No. Next question.
Posted by Steve Soto at September 7, 2007 04:08 PMOh, Steve, you're such a dreamer. Get over their fear of somebody saying "boo" to them? Not with this bunch.
...one Democrat on that committee go right at him, and challenge not only his current assessment and the political whitewashing behind it, but also the general himself.
Stop it, yer killin me.
Oh, peter, I didn't waste my time reading your bs, just let me say #&#% $@# $#@&$#$! to whatever stupidity you posted.
Posted by Duckman GR at September 7, 2007 04:12 PMI'd answer your question with a "yes" if you'd let me.
All over the place things are so much better. I even read where people are putting serious money into remodeling their homes. Lots of glass being placed back into windows, wouldn't do that if it was only to be shot out moments later. I know you've heard the getting better before many many times. I fear for you "the sky is falling" is more like it, but this time it is getting better. I'm sure you've heard that one a few times too. We'll just have to see.
I wish there was a source that we both would agree is credible to refer to. That, doesn't seem to be possible today. That's a shame for both of us.
Posted by peter at September 7, 2007 04:24 PMyeah pants pissing peter, and sectarian murders are down by 75% too
hey everybody! let's chip in for a one-way ticket to Baghdad so pants pissing peter can walk the streets, talk with the average Iraqi, and send us a report
keep clapping, you yellow cur
Posted by gay veteran at September 8, 2007 08:38 AMFor me the jury is still out on dem leadership. For all that's happened it's still only been 8 months since they took power. They strike me as still having a minority party mindset so right now they're getting taken to the woodshed. Hopefully they can learn from this.
Pelosi talked about this mindset about a month ago. It will take time but right now they need enforcers in both houses when it comes to major votes. Usually that's reserved for the Whip but it seems like Clyburn and Durbin(?) aren't cutting it. This is where you need a Tom Delay. Sad but true.
I'm not sure about Harry but for regional reasons I'll never count out Tommy Delesandro's daughter.
Posted by Daryl at September 8, 2007 11:41 AM